Ryan MacMillan

… then they would have had a really, really odd day in terms of their online buzz.

First of all this morning the noxious fumes from a burning pot of Nam Prik Pao, the fiery Thai chilli dip, caused the evacuation of several streets in Soho, London. Disaster! The Chilli brand is now associated with nefarious terrorist dirty bomb plots.

But lo, what media-savvy brand-rehabilitiation through yonder window breaks? Why it’s the loyalty-restoring news, this very same afternoon, that a compound found in chillies may be able to remove pain without effecting sense or movement. It could well spell the end of the ‘numbing’ effect that traditional anaesthetics inevitably produce.

Brilliant! From Chilli con al Qaeda to healthcare superhero in the space of a day. Now that, my friends, is branding.